Project description:LC-MS and GC-MS raw data for 13C6-glucose tracing in PDA cells expressing sgROSA or sgRNA targeting methionine sulfoxide reductase A
Project description:Engrailed-1 (EN1) is a critical homeodomain transcription factor (TF) required for neuronal survival, and EN1 expression has been shown to promote aggressive forms of triple negative breast cancer. Here, we report that EN1 is aberrantly expressed in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients with poor outcomes. EN1 predominantly repressed its target genes through direct binding to gene enhancers and promoters, implicating a role in the cellular response to the stimulation of mesenchymal cell properties. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that EN1 promoted PDA transformation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings nominate the targeting of EN1 and downstream pathways in aggressive PDA.
Project description:Engrailed-1 (EN1) is a critical homeodomain transcription factor (TF) required for neuronal survival, and EN1 expression has been shown to promote aggressive forms of triple negative breast cancer. Here, we report that EN1 is aberrantly expressed in a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients with poor outcomes. EN1 predominantly repressed its target genes through direct binding to gene enhancers and promoters, implicating a role in the cellular response to the stimulation of mesenchymal cell properties. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that EN1 promoted PDA transformation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Our findings nominate the targeting of EN1 and downstream pathways in aggressive PDA.
Project description:Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDA) develops predominantly through pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) precursor lesions. Pancreatic acinar cells are reprogrammed to a “ductal like” state during PanIN-PDA formation. Here, we demonstrate a parallel mechanism operative in mature duct cells where they undergo “ductal retrogression” to form IPMN-PDA. Brg1, a catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF complexes, plays a critical antagonistic role in IPMN-PDA development. In mature duct cells Brg1 inhibits the dedifferentiation that precedes neoplastic transformation, thus attenuating tumor initiation. In contrast, Brg1 promotes tumorigenesis in full-blown PDA by supporting a mesenchymal-like transcriptional landscape. We have exploited this duality of Brg1 functions to develop a novel therapeutic approach using an epigenetic drug JQ1. In summary, this study demonstrates the context-dependent roles of Brg1 and points to potential therapeutic treatment options based on epigenetic regulation in PDA. Duct cells were isolated from mice of 3 different genotypes and duct cells from 3 mice of each genotype were sequenced. For the put back experiments, control retrovirus and that expressing Brg1 were transdcued in Brg1 null IPMN mouse cell line.
Project description:The poor clinical outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has been attributed to intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and a growth-permissive tumor microenvironment. Quiescent pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are neuroendocrine, nestin-positive, lipid-accumulating cells whose homologues in the liver are the principal repository of Vitamin A esters. Upon activation, lipid droplets are lost and via transdifferentiation they become the key cell type responsible for driving the severe desmoplasia that characterizes PDA. Despite their critical role in PDA progression and chemoresistance, therapeutic strategies targeting PSCs are lacking. Here we identified the vitamin D receptor (VDR) as a master genomic regulator of PSC activation and function. In vitro we demonstrate that VDR activation reduces expression in PSCs of genes implicated in activation, inflammation, and extracellular matrix production, as well as restoring lipid droplet integrity. In vivo, the VDR ligand calcipotriol enhances the anti-tumor effects of gemcitabine by increasing intratumoral concentration 5-fold, reducing tumor volume to near baseline and lowering metastases by more than 65%. These findings implicate VDR as a master regulator of PSC activation and identify a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. RNA-Seq analyses was used to characterize cancer-associated changes between pre-activated (3-day culture) and activated (7-day culture) primary mouse PSCs, as well as control and PDA human PSCs. RNA-Seq was also used to assess the impact of VDR activation (DMSO vs calcipotriol) in a human PSC line (MiaPaCa-2), the mouse primary PSCs
Project description:Immunotherapy approaches have been ineffective in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), pointing to the need for additional avenues to target in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment. We previously discovered that tumor educated bone marrow derived macrophages express high levels of C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 1 (CCR1). By single-cell RNA sequencing, we found CCR1 to be expressed predominantly by tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) and granulocytes in both human and mouse PDA. Thus, we sought to investigate the functional role of CCR1 in pancreatic cancer. Using KC; Ccr1-/- mice (Ptf1a-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D; Ccr1-/-), we determined that CCR1 is dispensable during pancreatic cancer initiation, although we observed increased CD8 T cell infiltration in KC; Ccr1-/- pancreata. Using syngeneic orthotopic PDA mouse models we discovered that CCR1 ablation in Ccr1-/- mice or pharmaceutical inhibition of CCR1 both resulted in reduced tumor growth. Further, CCR1 ablation prolonged the overall survival of KPC mice. Through mass cytometry (CyTOF) and co-immunofluorescence staining we showed CCR1 ablation elevated CD8 T cell cytotoxic activity in the orthotopic PDA model. Mechanistically we found TAMs lacking CCR1 expressed less Arginase 1 and CD206 -both immunosuppressive markers of macrophages- compared to wild type TAMs. Further, targeting both CCR1 and Arginase 1 synergized with immune checkpoint blockade anti-PD-L1 to enhance antitumor efficacy in orthotopic model of PDA. Together, our data is consistent with the notion that tumor associated macrophages lacking CCR1 expression are less immunosuppressive, consequently allowing increased CD8 T cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. Targeting CCR1 in combination with immune checkpoint blockade improves antitumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer.
Project description:Cardiac fibroblasts convert to myofibroblasts with injury to mediate healing after acute myocardial infarction and to mediate long-standing fibrosis with chronic disease. Myofibroblasts remain a poorly defined cell-type in terms of their origins and functional effects in vivo. Methods: Here we generate Postn (periostin) gene-targeted mice containing a tamoxifen inducible Cre for cellular lineage tracing analysis. This Postn allele identifies essentially all myofibroblasts within the heart and multiple other tissues. Results: Lineage tracing with 4 additional Cre-expressing mouse lines shows that periostin-expressing myofibroblasts in the heart derive from tissue-resident fibroblasts of the Tcf21 lineage, but not endothelial, immune/myeloid or smooth muscle cells. Deletion of periostin+ myofibroblasts reduces collagen production and scar formation after myocardial infarction. Periostin-traced myofibroblasts also revert back to a less activated state upon injury resolution. Conclusions: Our results define the myofibroblast as a periostin-expressing cell-type necessary for adaptive healing and fibrosis in the heart, which arises from Tcf21+ tissue-resident fibroblasts. Fluidigm C1 whole genome transcriptome analysis of lineage mapped cardiac myofibroblasts
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Although metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of many cancers, including PDA, previous attempts to target metabolic changes therapeutically have been stymied by drug toxicity and tumour cell plasticity. Here, we show that PDA cells engage an eIF4F-dependent translation program that supports redox and central carbon metabolism. Inhibition of the eIF4F subunit, eIF4A, using the synthetic rocaglate CR-1-31-B (CR-31) reduced the viability of PDA organoids relative to their normal counterparts. In vivo, CR-31 suppresses tumour growth and extends survival of genetically-engineered murine models of PDA. Surprisingly, inhibition of eIF4A also induces glutamine reductive carboxylation. As a consequence, combined targeting of eIF4A and glutaminase activity more effectively inhibits PDA cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of eIF4A in translational control of pancreatic tumour metabolism and as a therapeutic target against PDA.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by abundant desmoplasia and poor tissue perfusion. These features are proposed to limit access of therapies to neoplastic cells and blunt treatment efficacy. Indeed, several agents that target the PDA microenvironment promote chemotherapy delivery and improve anti-neoplastic responses in murine models of PDA. Here, we employed the FG-3019 monoclonal antibody directed against the pleiotropic matricellular signaling molecule connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2). FG-3019 treatment increased PDA cell killing and led to a dramatic tumor response without altering gemcitabine delivery. Microarray expression profiling revealed the down-regulation by FG-3019 of several anti-apoptotic transcripts, including the master regulator Xiap, down-regulation of which has been shown to sensitize PDA to gemcitabine. Decreases in XIAP protein by FG-3019 in the presence and absence of gemcitabine were confirmed by immunoblot, while increases in XIAP protein were seen in PDA cell lines treated with recombinant CTGF. Therefore, alterations in survival cues following targeting of tumor microenvironmental factors may play an important role in treatment responses in animal models and, by extension, PDA patients. Total RNA was isolated from KPC mouse PDA tumors 9 days after initiation of treatment with IgG (n=7 biological replicates), FG-3019 (n=5), IgG + gemcitabine (n=6), or FG-3019 + gemcitabine (n=6) and hybridized to Affymetrix 430A 2.0 microarrays. CEL files were processed by GC-RMA and rescaled using median per-gene normalization in GeneSpring GX 7.3.1.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is one of the most lethal human malignancies, owing in part to its propensity for metastasis. Here, we used an organoid culture system to investigate how transcription and the enhancer landscape become altered during each stage of PDA progression. This approach revealed that the metastatic transition is accompanied by massive, and recurrent alterations in enhancer activity. We implicate the transcription factors FOXA1 and GATA5 as drivers of enhancer activation in this system, a mechanism that we show renders PDA cells more invasive and less anchorage-dependent for growth in vitro, as well as more metastatic in vivo. FOXA1 and GATA5 were found to activate a foregut endoderm transcriptional program in PDA cells, without altering genes associated with the epithelial-to- mesenchymal transition. Collectively, our study implicates FOXA1/GATA5 upregulation, enhancer reprogramming, and a novel retrograde developmental transition in PDA progression and metastasis.